A bright and well-lit home can dramatically change the mood of your home and help you feel relaxed and comfortable all year long. Here are some tips to lighten up your home and make the rooms look big and inviting:
* Choose different types of lighting to avoid the expense of installing windows or skylights. Lamps or other accent lighting can make a dull room appear elegant or small rooms seem larger.
* If you have a room with a dark wall or a narrow, dark hallway, hang a group of pictures and light them with adjustable halogen track lighting to create the effect of a photo gallery.
* Paint ceilings a light color to avoid making them seem lower than they are and give the room a cramped feel.
* Use color to add cheer to a room. Pink and green tones have a calming effect while darker colors, such as red, tend to cause agitation. Neutral wall tones create a harmonious environment. Bright colors should be used as accents in pillows, artwork or flowers.
* When selecting paint, tape large color chips together on a wall to get a better idea of the shades you like. When you’ve narrowed your choices down, buy a quart of 2 or 3 colors and paint 1 or 2 foot squares next to each other on both shaded and brightly lit walls. Choose the color that looks best in both kinds of light.
Call or send The Davidson Team an email if you’d like the names of decorators, contractors, or other service providers.
A Different Kind of Garage Sale
Instead of having a traditional garage sale, perhaps you should consider putting your garage sale online. Free online classified ads like Craig’s List or fee-based auction sites like eBay make it easy to do. Here’s how:
Take your time: The beauty of an online garage sale is that you don’t need to sell all your unwanted belongings at once. Instead you can post them online as soon as you decide to get rid of them.
Price it right: Search online to learn prices of comparable items and price yours to sell if you don’t want to be stuck with them later on.
Use pictures: Use a digital camera to take shots of your items. One picture is worth hundreds of words of description. Provide written descriptions, including dimensions and be sure to indicate any defect or areas of wear or damage.
Payment: Items listed on local classified sites like Craig’s List are usually paid for as cash at delivery on a first-come, first-served basis. Winning bidders on auction sites like eBay use PayPal to pay with their credit card. Setting up an account with PayPal is free and easy.
Shipping: Auction sites let you specify a flat rate for shipping or allow buyers to compute and pay for shipping costs. Craig’s List buyers will pick up their purchase from you once you’ve both agreed on the price so there are no shipping costs at all.
By getting rid of unwanted items through an online garage sale you’ll make your home feel more spacious and have fewer items to pack if you decide to make a move.Please call or send us an email if we can answer any real estate related questions. We appreciate the opportunity to be your real estate resource.
Take your time: The beauty of an online garage sale is that you don’t need to sell all your unwanted belongings at once. Instead you can post them online as soon as you decide to get rid of them.
Price it right: Search online to learn prices of comparable items and price yours to sell if you don’t want to be stuck with them later on.
Use pictures: Use a digital camera to take shots of your items. One picture is worth hundreds of words of description. Provide written descriptions, including dimensions and be sure to indicate any defect or areas of wear or damage.
Payment: Items listed on local classified sites like Craig’s List are usually paid for as cash at delivery on a first-come, first-served basis. Winning bidders on auction sites like eBay use PayPal to pay with their credit card. Setting up an account with PayPal is free and easy.
Shipping: Auction sites let you specify a flat rate for shipping or allow buyers to compute and pay for shipping costs. Craig’s List buyers will pick up their purchase from you once you’ve both agreed on the price so there are no shipping costs at all.
By getting rid of unwanted items through an online garage sale you’ll make your home feel more spacious and have fewer items to pack if you decide to make a move.Please call or send us an email if we can answer any real estate related questions. We appreciate the opportunity to be your real estate resource.
First Time Home Buyers: Part 8 of 8
Grading Local Schools
When thinking of buying a home, most people research various neighborhood amenities, including local schools. Regardless of whether you have children, schools can affect property values and are an important consideration when buying a home.
Here are four ways to tell if area schools are having problems:
Local test scores low or dropping
Low test scores can be a product of resource shortages, poor teachers, lack of commitment by the school district or parents.
Student enrollment dropping
If fewer families are moving into the neighborhood, or parents are choosing schools outside the neighborhood, the school may be having problems.
Poorly maintained or vandalized buildings
Inadequate upkeep may be a sign of funding shortages and low involvement from parents.
Troubles at PTA meetings
Tension among parents or between parents and the school's teachers or management may indicate serious problems in a school.
If you have any doubts about the school quality in your target neighborhoods, please give The Davidson Team a call and we'll be happy to discuss them with you. Learning about local schools helps you make an informed choice about where you live.
First Time Home Buyer: Part 7 of 8
What Goes Into Your Monthly Mortgage Payment
When you’re thinking of buying a home, you may wonder what your mortgage payment will look like. When you have a mortgage, you’ll have several different portions of your payment each month.
Your mortgage payment consists of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (often abbreviated as “PITI”), and sometimes additional fees, such as homeowners association dues.
Principal is the money you borrowed to purchase the home.
Interest is the cost of borrowing money.
Taxes are paid by homeowners to local governments, and are usually a percentage of the assessed property value.
Insurance helps protect against financial loss from fire, natural disasters or other hazards. Most lenders require you to have a homeowner’s insurance policy on your home because it will help protect their investment as well as yours.
Remember, many loan quotes will only include your principal and interest. You’ll also need to factor in the taxes and insurance to calculate your total monthly mortgage payment.
When you’re ready to take the next step to buying your home, please give The Davidson Team a call. We’ll be happy to explain the process further and help you narrow your home search.
When you’re thinking of buying a home, you may wonder what your mortgage payment will look like. When you have a mortgage, you’ll have several different portions of your payment each month.
Your mortgage payment consists of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (often abbreviated as “PITI”), and sometimes additional fees, such as homeowners association dues.
Principal is the money you borrowed to purchase the home.
Interest is the cost of borrowing money.
Taxes are paid by homeowners to local governments, and are usually a percentage of the assessed property value.
Insurance helps protect against financial loss from fire, natural disasters or other hazards. Most lenders require you to have a homeowner’s insurance policy on your home because it will help protect their investment as well as yours.
Remember, many loan quotes will only include your principal and interest. You’ll also need to factor in the taxes and insurance to calculate your total monthly mortgage payment.
When you’re ready to take the next step to buying your home, please give The Davidson Team a call. We’ll be happy to explain the process further and help you narrow your home search.
First Time Home Buyer: Part 6 of 8
All About Down Payments
An important aspect of getting a home loan is saving money for your down payment. You have many choices to make your home more affordable to you.
Lenders used to require a down payment of at least 20 percent of the home's price. These days, however, many lenders offer flexible home loan programs allowing you to put very little down -- three percent or less of the home price. For some buyers it's possible to buy a home with no down payment at all, or to receive help from local down payment assistance programs.
If you decide to pay make a down payment less than 20 percent, your lender may require Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which protects the lender in case you cannot repay the mortgage. Talk with your mortgage professional to find out the smartest deal for you.
You'll also need to pay for closing costs, which are costs associated with initiating a loan. These can include loan origination fees, discount points, attorney fees, recording fees and pre-paids. They often will total from three to five percent of the price of the home.
Once you have you down payment and loan pre-approval, it's simply a matter of finding the right house. Please call or email The Davidson Team when you're ready to take this next step towards owning your own home.
First Time Home Buyer: Part 5 of 8
Choosing the neighborhood for your home
Buying a home is an investment in the neighborhood as well as the house. In fact, the character and amenities of the neighborhood may be as important to the property value as the house itself. No matter what kind of neighborhood you're looking for, it's important to know its history and future when you decide to buy.
Here's what to research:
1. Recent sales - Find out if the market is slow and what homes have been selling for.
2. Homes now for sale - What homes are listed in the area, and are they listed above past sales? This will give you a good idea of the area's overall market value.
3. Home appreciation - Historical data on sales gives the best indicator of a neighborhood's potential. Are homes appreciating at 3%, 5%, 10% or higher every year?
4. Schools - School scores and district boundaries are very important to research before moving into a neighborhood. The closest school is not always in your district, and school scores reveal if a neighborhood is invested in the schools' success.
5. Crime - Get the hard facts about any problems in the neighborhood -- don't depend on anecdotal information.
6. Demographics and growth - Find out how the area is growing and changing.
7. Community -- Learn about neighborhood features, such as public schools, shopping areas, parks, commuting options and more.
The Davidson Team can help you with this information-please give us a call or email us any questions you have. You'll find that the more you know about the neighborhoods you're considering, the easier it will be to narrow your search for your new home.
First Time Home Buyer: Part 4 of 8
The Importance of Pre-approval
Pre-approval can be a very valuable step towards purchasing a home. Many home buyers get pre-qualified for a home loan early on, and then become pre-approved before beginning a serious home search. By completing your mortgage application prior to choosing a home, you can get a pre-approval letter stating how much home you can afford.
Your pre-approval letter lets you know exactly how much you can spend, and it shows home sellers and real estate agents that you're serious about buying a home. This may give you leverage in the negotiation process. Many sellers actually prefer to work with pre-approved buyers, especially in hot real estate markets.
To find a mortgage professional and get started with your pre-approval for a loan, please call or email The Davidson Team. Our goal is to provide you with practical information as you consider your next move.
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